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Re: Oil Burner Ignition Transformers

Subject: Re: Oil Burner Ignition Transformers
  Date:  Tue, 13 May 1997 19:41:21 -0400 (EDT)
  From:  "Daryl P. Dacko" <mycrump-at-cris-dot-com>
    To:  Tesla List <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>


At 08:01 PM 5/12/97 -0500, you wrote:

>> All the OBT's I've used were self-regulating, just like a neon
>> transformer. All were rated at 23 Ma., and were desgined to run
>> all day long keeping the flame lit in fuel oil furnaces.
>> 
>> Let's keep comparing notes and see what we come up with !
>
>It's starting to look that way Daryl, Tom <tom_mcgahee-at-sigmais-dot-com>
>and I have been discussing this very issue! It also appears that it 
>may be a regional thing, out of curiosity where are you located?
>I'm in North East Philadelphia.

I'm located in central lower Michigan, where we burn a lot of fuel
oil...

>
>Due to the fact that we see to befind both regulated and unregulated
>OBT's I would suggest anyone contemplating their use run a simple 
>test that Tom <tom_mcgahee-at-sigmais-dot-com> suggested;
>
>   "Here is a really simple way to check out whether you actually 
>   have a 10KV transformer with NO current limiting inside. Put a 
>   100K resistor in series with the transformer. Turn transformer 
>   on for just a second or two and measure the voltage. If the 
>   voltage across the resistor is GREATER than 5KV then the
>   transformer is NOT current limited. If it is less than 5KV then 
>   it definitely IS current limited, and that would mean it has 
>   magnetic shunts. I have done this test on ALL my ignition 
>   transformers. ALL the ones I have are current limited.  Be 
>   aware that the 100K resistor will probably be dissipating about 
>   200 watts, so keep run time to just a second or two."
>
>If you find that the transfomer(s) you are using has a voltage 
>across the resistor (in the above test) of over 5KV then use a series 
>choke in the primary circuit otherwise you don't need to. Realize 
>also that the only harm from using a series choke on a current 
>regulated trnsformer is you will get less output that you would 
>without it. So I would still say if in doubt use a choke.

Sounds like a good way to check your OBT, although I would guess 
that unless you used a physically large resistor (i.e. larger than
a one watt size) you might risk haveing the voltage arc across
the resistor and give you a dead short thus blowing your mains fuse.

I recently had a friend tell me that he has seen OBT's that were 
designed for running only a few seconds at a time, used for lighting
really big industrial cracking furnaces, so we now have another type,
current limited, but designed for only a limited run time...

Daryl